DID YOU KNOW? Aspermont school often doubles as storm shelter for community
ASPERMONT, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Aspermont High School has been offering shelter for decades to anyone seeking sanctuary from bad weather.
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When you live in a rural area your options can be limited on where you can go when severe weather strikes. Some may have a storm shelter, but for those who don’t have that option, the City of Aspermont has a pretty unique solution.
Because a majority of the structure for the high school was built into the ground, Aspermont ISD’s Superintendent Zach Morris said the distinctive design readily lends itself to other uses.
“The high school was built in the late 60s. Talk around town is that it served as a fallout shelter during that time,” Morris explained. In regard to its alternative uses, he continued, “Generally, about once a year in the spring we’ll get a weather situation that people are ready to come down here, so we’re always ready to get it open.”
Along with the underground setting, classrooms were designed without windows which adds to the safety of the structure.
Former student and current teacher at Aspermont High School (AHS), Shayla Brazelton, spoke to her experience sheltering from storms in the school over the years.
“I think it’s amazing that the different types of people that live in the town can come together and just all take care of each other’s kids and make sure everybody’s okay and check on people all together in one building,” beamed Brazelton.
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While the high school does serve as a safeguard for people when severe weather strikes, they’re not the only ones welcomed in. Recognizing the importance of family pets in this rural community, the school allows all sorts of creatures through those doors, and it is a regular occurrence to see families accompanying their furry companions when seeking safety.
During frightening storms, much of the school’s staff takes it upon themselves to make accommodations for guests. Teachers will often play movies in their classrooms to ease the minds of frightened children, and if the emergency occurs in the middle of the night, sleeping arrangements are made with certain classrooms designated for anyone looking to get some rest.
It’s a scenario that Maleah Hecht, an AHS freshman, said she’s experienced many times, “Whenever I was eight, and there was a tornado just right down the road and me and my family just had to rush, and we only could grab our dogs.”
One of her most frightening memories turned into a story of community triumph for Maleah. She told KTAB/KRBC about her close-knit city even stepping up for another city in need of resources after a storm.
“Whenever Jayton got hit, a lot of people sent food and stuff to them, and we even donated our generator to one of the residents there,” Maleah said.
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Paired with a growing risk regarding who is allowed into schools, questions on security are commonly raised in situations like these. However, Supt. Morris encouraged that concern, while taken seriously, is unlikely for their community in this setting, and promised he would continue to open the doors of the high school any time severe weather threatens the community.
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